Sunday

Ohio State's miscalculated gamble

First, some non-sports business stuff: I rarely use this space for personal notes or anything like that, but upon the suggestion of others in our fair newsroom, I'm giving it a shot today:
I'd love to have a local lawyer explain to me why a law prohibiting me holding my arm up to my ear is constitutional. A quick recap: South Euclid, and a couple other cities, have enacted laws banning the physical act of holding your arm up to your ear while driving.
Those municipalities, of course, bill the laws as banning talking while driving, but don't be fooled: You're allowed to talk while driving, just without holding your phone to your ear. Anyone with a Bluetooth can talk on the phone while driving. So South Euclid isn't saying the actual talking is distracting, but the act of holding my arm up to my ear, which is preposterous. (And for the record, I'm all for texting-while-driving bans, etc. But this ain't that.)
Of course, you say, get a Bluetooth, but that's not the point: This is a governmental body enacting a law that prevents me from holding my arm up to my ear while in its jurisdiction, which is patently absurd.
So, lawyers, have at it: Email me if you can help prevent municipalities from enacting such intrusive rules. Thank you!

Ohio State guesses wrong

A friend of mine has made this argument before: If Ohio State would have just included a bowl ban last season, in interim coach Luke Fickell's 6-6 season, it would have missed a Gator Bowl trip. This year, it could be missing a national title game trip. More from Columbus Dispatch columnist Bob Hunter:Now, they might miss an appearance in the Big Ten championship game, a trip to a BCS bowl and possibly even an appearance in the national championship game. In real world terms, this is similar to one criminal getting 30 days in jail and another getting a 30-year sentence for committing the same crime.
There's no doubt OSU officials made a bad gamble by not giving up what figured to be a stinker of a bowl game last season, but that misses the real point: The two punishments — a bowl ban last season and a ban this year — aren't close to being equal in impact. If the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin and Michigan and finish 12-0 — a big if, to be sure — their punishment might be 10 times as severe as it would have been if they had taken a ban last season.For the readers: I know there are a lot of Ohio State folks out there; do you agree? Disagree? Why? Email's above and below to weigh in.